Genesis 31:36-55

November 20, 2016

Lord’s Day Worship

Sean Higgins

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The sermon starts at 17:30 in the audio file.

Or, When the Putter-On Acts Put Upon

Worse than a cook who lost his taste is a boss who lost his checkbook. In some situations it could be funny, but only for a while, and probably not if it’s your boss. Laban is the worst. He’s manipulated, lied, deceived, grasped, criticized, accused, and generally been as unpleasant as a migraine. And he thought he was being put-upon.

Jacob went to work for Laban for around seven-thousand three-hundred Mondays and, as he’ll affirm before the chapter ends, “If God…had not been on my side, surely you would have” swallowed me up alive (see Psalm 124:3), or at least “you would have sent me away empty-handed.” That’s not only a reference to the flocks he earned but also to the family he obtained. Jacob sacrificed and suffered and Laban kept taking advantage of his nephew/son-in-law at every turn.

When Jacob heard that his brothers-in-law were bitter about his abundance, when Jacob saw that favor had fallen off of Laban’s face, and when Jacob received word from the LORD that it was time to go, he got up and went. He persuaded his wives to follow, which may have had as much to do with disgruntlement towards their dad as anything. So all Jacob had acquired in Paddan-aram was loaded and left for Canaan.

They did not say good-bye. Laban and his men were shearing the sheep, and he didn’t even hear that Jacob stole away for three days. When he did get the news, he gathered his kinsmen and took off after Jacob in hot pursuit, overtaking him seven days later. He had a lot of time to work on his speech, except that God appeared to Laban one night and told him, in so many words, to leave it alone.

That didn’t stop Laban from launching verbal threats, though he couldn’t quite decide if he wanted to be mad or offended, whether he should rescue or destroy, whether he should ask questions or just criticize. He accuses Jacob of kidnapping his daughters and god-napping his household idols. He informs Jacob that Jacob is foolish and that Jacob is lucky that Laban won’t harm him.

Laban’s one legit grievance was that his figurines were gone. Jacob didn’t know it, but Rachel had stolen them. We don’t know why she took them, but she’s in danger because Jacob pronounces the death penalty on anyone who has them. But Laban can’t find them. Laban “jacobed” Jacob. Jacob “jacobed” Laban. Rachel “jacobed” her dad. And here we are.

In Genesis 31:1-35 we saw three paragraphs with Jacob as the primary actor, then three with Laban. Now there is one paragraph of Jacob’s angry complaint (verses 36-42) and three more with Laban’s last words (verses 43-55).

Jacob Bursts Out (verses 36-42)

The occasion is specific but the anger is historic. Out of the abundance of the hardship the mouth speaks. There has been a lot of hardship, and Laban’s pretensions light the match of Jacob’s fire.

Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Here is old whine in new whineskins; Jacob was hot. ”What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household gods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two.” Jacob “contended with” (NASB, perhaps more accurate that berated) Laban about his innocence before the family jury. Where is the proof of any illegal or immoral acts? He talks as if his guiltlessness is beyond dispute, even though we know that his guilt is just not visible. Rachel is sitting on the evidence in a back room.

Jacob, though, is just getting started. Laban has no case regarding the idols, and Laban has no case regarding the labor. Two decades’ worth of pent up complaints burst out about his work as a pastor.

“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the r[...]